Lost and Found
by TheLittleReaderWriter
Summary: Oliver walks home after work one dark night, and stumbles across something...or someone, that should not have been there in the first place. And Oliver isn't about to leave him there all alone. (Tons of fluff in future chapters!) -Humanized


Chapter One

It was a clear, crisp night. The stars twinkled brightly above, and the waves of the ocean washed against the sandy shore.

The typical, uneventful summer evening was about to become the most eventful summer evening yet.

Sixteen year old Oliver Collett was walking home after he got off his shift at the railway. That night, he had been out late pulling the Flying Kipper, as Henry, the engineer who usually pulled it, was out sick. Oliver willingly stepped up to help pull it, and he felt lucky that he and his little engine were able to handle it alone. Now, it was pitch black out and Oliver was walking home to the rest of the team, to the huge, roomy, mansion like house that he shared with the other steam engineers, which, lucky for him, wasn't too far away. He could have asked his friends for a lift home, but he had wanted to walk instead, feeling he needed the exercise. The street was well lit, so Oliver felt perfectly comfortable walking in the dark. It was only when Oliver crossed in front of a dark alleyway that he stopped in his tracks.

He'd heard something.

Oliver closed his eyes and listened carefully.

There it was again, and he now knew what it was.

Somebody was crying, and it was coming from that dark alley.

Crossing his fingers that it wasn't a trick or something dangerous, Oliver stepped into the darkness.

"Hello?"

There was a scared squeak and some rustling, but no vocal response. Just some more sniffs and tiny sobs were enough for Oliver to know that someone was there. Oliver reached into his pocket, took out his smartphone, turned on the flashlight and let it shine out on the ground.

What he saw surprised him greatly.

Sitting there, was the tiniest, skinniest little boy he had ever seen. His eyes were huge and their gray color reminded Oliver of steel. He was shaking, his eyes red and swollen from crying. He looked terrified, and Oliver's heart instantly broke at the sight.

"Hello, there," Oliver said gently. "Are you okay?"

The boy only shook his head, still shaking at the new face in front of him.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Oliver asked, giving him a kind, reassuring smile. "Are you lost?"

The boy shook his head frantically, tears spilling down his swollen cheeks.

"N-N-No….l-l-left m-me…"

"Left you?" Oliver repeated, hiding his surprise at hearing the boy's tiny voice for the first time. "Who left you?"

His eyes widened.

"Did your parents leave you here?"

Again, a nod, and the boy started shaking harder.

Now, to say that Oliver felt pissed was an understatement. He was absolutely full of fury.

What kind of cruel, heartless, selfish, terrible people would abandon their child like this?

But more importantly…

"Why?" Oliver whispered.

"D-Don't….know…"

The boy was starting to cry again, his shoulders shaking roughly.

"Don't cry, don't cry!" Oliver said urgently, trying to wrack his brain on ways to calm the child down. Quickly thinking, he kneeled down and pulled the boy into a warm hug. "Shhhh….there, there…it's okay…"

His sobs quieted, and he latched onto the teenager. Oliver held him close, the boy's dirty, tousled, light brownish hair tickling him.

"How long have you been out here?" Oliver asked softly.

"D-Days…l-long time…" the boy whispered. "L-Left m-me…"

Oliver could see that the boy's shakes had subsided, and Oliver raised a hand to brush through the child's hair. Dust, grime and bits of dirt fell into his hand. Oliver's hand now fell to the boy's cheek, who leaned into the contact. Oliver smiled warmly.

"What's your name?" He asked gently.

The boy's voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper.

"T-Toad."

"That's an interesting name. How old are you?"

"Five…"

_Five years old and he's been abandoned. Cinders and ashes…_

Toad looked up at the teenager curiously.

"W-Who are y-you?"

"I'm Oliver."

"O-O-Oliver?"

"Yes."

Oliver ran a hand through Toad's hair again, and he smiled down at that tiny little boy, who looked tinier than five years old. With how skinny and small he was, Oliver was scared to find out how much he weighed. Oliver felt his phone chime in his hand, no doubt a text from one of his friends, asking where he was and what was taking so long.

"W-What was that?!" Toad shrieked.

"Calm down! It's okay!" Oliver rubbed Toad's cheek gently. "It's just my phone."

Oliver didn't bother to check the text, but only shoved his phone in his pocket, where the light from the flashlight dimmed out.

It was getting late, it was dark, and there was a scared, abandoned, skinny five year old out here all alone.

Oliver couldn't, wouldn't leave him there.

Oliver grabbed Toad's hands, pulling him to his feet. Toad swayed, but Oliver held him still.

"Toad, I'm going to take you to my home, okay?"

Toad hurriedly shook his head.

"N-N-No! M-Mummy said not to-to go with

s-strangers!"

"Toad, I'm not a stranger," Oliver said kindly, looking at him with a warm smile. "I'm going to take care of you, alright? I'm not leaving you here."

"B-But…"

"I'm not a stranger, Toad...I'm going to take good care of you. I'll take you to my house. I live there with all of my friends. We have food, water, and a nice warm bed for you to sleep in. You won't have to stay in this alley anymore. I'll get you something clean to wear, give you a bath and then you can rest. How does that sound?"

Toad nodded, a smile beginning to form.

"G-Good…"

A random question suddenly weaved its way into Oliver's train of thoughts, but, to anyone who lived on Sodor, this was a perfectly normal question to ask.

"Do you like trains, Toad?"

Toad nodded excitedly, and that was the first time Oliver saw him smile.

"Uh huh!"

Oliver smiled brightly, rising to his feet.

"I work on the railway, and I have my own train. If you come with me, I promise I'll take you for a ride in it."

Toad giggled, and the sound warmed the Great Western's heart.

"O-Okay...I'll come!"

"Good."

Oliver's chest swelled with relief. He slid his jacket off, wrapped it tightly around the boy, and then he lifted Toad into his arms. Oliver's heart twisted at how light Toad was. He couldn't have weighed more than fifteen pounds.

Toad nuzzled into his chest, now calm and relaxed. He was safe.

"T-Thank you, Mr. Oliver."

_Mister? _Oliver thought.

He hugged the five year old close, suddenly feeling very protective of him.

"You're welcome, Toad. Let's go home."

They got to the front door of the giant house ten to fifteen minutes later. Almost every single light in the house was on, meaning everyone was still awake. Toad leaned closer to Oliver, suddenly scared.

"It's okay," Oliver soothed. "It's okay…"

Oliver made it to the porch and was just about to open the door when it slammed open, to reveal a very pissed off (and obviously worried) Duck.

"There you are! Where were you? I thought that something had…"

Duck trailed off, as his eyes had just fallen on the tiny being in Oliver's arms. Oliver's arms protectively tightened around Toad, who looked up with wide, scared eyes, at Duck.

"Oliver, what…" Duck trailed off again. "Who is he?"

"I found him sitting in an alleyway on my way home," Oliver quickly explained. "I heard someone crying, so I investigated. He'd been sitting in the alley for days, his name's Toad, he's five, and his parents abandoned him."

"What?" Duck snapped.

He, like Oliver, couldn't believe that such heartless parents like that even existed.

"I couldn't leave him there, so I brought him straight here," Oliver said. "He needs a bath and a change of clothes. But, most importantly, he needs to eat."

Duck instantly realized how skinny Toad was, and he nodded immediately.

"Of course, of course. Come in, Ollie, welcome home...poor thing…"

Duck slammed and locked the door behind them, and turned to his best friend and the little one. Toad had his face buried in Oliver's chest, too scared to face the other teenager.

"Toad, this is my best friend, Duck," Oliver said gently, stroking his hair. "Were going to help you. Can you say hi to him?"

"H-H-Hi…" Toad whispered timidly.

Duck smiled.

"Hello there, Toad. We're going to take good care of you."

Toad smiled shyly at him.

"Do you want to hold him?" Oliver asked Duck.

Hearing that, Toad gripped Oliver's jacket, holding on for dear life. He started to shake again.

"I don't think he wants me to," Duck laughed. "I think he's just fine with you."

Oliver laughed, too, and two sets of feet suddenly came pounding through the upstairs hallway. Leaning against the wooden stairway rail was the Scottish twins, who were staring down with equal looks of shock at Toad.

Oliver smiled weakly.

"Uh...surprise?"

Douglas was the first to speak up, and his loud, hysterical voice made the three boys down below flinch.

"Cinders and ashes, yon Ollie! Why didn't ye tell us that ye had a son?!"

"What?! He's not my-"

"Yon Ollie, I know that there's a lot of pretty lassies aroond, but, didn't ye learn _anythin' _from health class?" Donald cut in.

"Would you listen to me?!" Oliver snapped, shutting the twins up. "He isn't my son! I found him on my way home! He's been abandoned by his parents! Cinders and ashes, you two…"

Donald and Douglas were down the stairs and at his side in an instant, and Oliver quickly told them the whole story. They, like Duck, had been pissed about Toad's abandonment. Once the story was over, the twins fawned over the little boy.

"Why-Why's there t-two of them?" Toad stammered, as the twins both smiled at him.

"They're twins, Toad. They're brothers," Duck replied gently.

"Oh…"

"Ohhh, he's adorable!" Donald cooed. "Such a cute little lad, aye, Douggie?"

"Aye, Donnie."

Toad looked up at Oliver, then over at Donald.

"W-What's wrong with y-your voice?"

Donald's smile faltered, but Douglas laughed so loud that it could have woken up all of Europe. Duck laughed despite himself and Donald pouted.

"Oh, come on," Oliver laughed. "He doesn't understand what was wrong with what he said. Don't pout."

Douglas, having recovered from his laughing fit, walked up to Toad, and bent down so they were at eye level.

"What's wrong with Donnie's voice, ye ask? Well, young un, me brother and I are from Scotland. We have Scottish accidents, so that's what's wrong with Donnie's voice. Our accents do sound a wee bit funny, aye?"

Toad nodded happily.

"You know, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad you two are here," Oliver said. "Do either of you have something he could wear? He can't stay in these rags."

"Aye, we might," Donald said. "Let's go check the attic, Douggie. Mum might have left some of our old things here, aye?"

"Aye, let's go see."

"Oh, and if you do find something, leave it by the bathtub next to my room. I'm going to give him a bath later," Oliver said.

The twins nodded, pounded up the stairs and were gone in seconds. The two Great Westerns turned to each other.

"Can I help with anything, Oliver?"

Oliver nodded gratefully.

"Yeah. Could you go get a bed ready for him in my room? Make sure our train sets are working, too...he likes trains."

Duck's eyes lit up and he nodded, starting up the stairs.

"Oh, and Duck?"

Duck turned around.

"Yeah?"

"While you're up there...grab Percy for me."

Duck nodded and continued up the stairs. Oliver carried Toad to the huge kitchen, which was full of warmth from the fireplace on the opposite side of the room.

"This place is so big, Mr. Oliver!" Toad said in awe.

Oliver, though he was still confused by the formality of the nickname given to him, let it slide.

He found it rather cute, anyway.

"I know. It's a brilliant kitchen, isn't it?"

Toad giggled, nuzzling into Oliver's chest.

"You must have a lot of that...that green stuff to buy a room this big!"

Oliver laughed loudly, squeezing him.

"You mean money? Well, Sir Topham Hatt pays us all very generously. He's a very kind man to my friends and I."

Toad looked up at him with curious eyes.

"Who's...Sir Top Hat?"

Again, Oliver laughed, and he set Toad on the counter.

"My boss. He's in charge of the railway I work on. He organizes the timetables for the trains."

"Oh."

Oliver smiled, realizing that Toad was finally getting more and more comfortable. He wasn't shaking or tripping over his words anymore. Oliver rummaged through the cabinets and pantry, trying to find something for Toad to eat. Percy walked into the kitchen, smiling brightly.

"Hey, Oliver! What's-"

He stopped, having caught sight of Toad. Oliver quickly filled him in on everything, and Percy listened quietly and intently.

"Cinders and ashes, poor thing…" Percy said quietly. "How can people be so cruel?"

"I wish I knew, Percy. Anyway, first things first."

Oliver picked Toad up again and turned him so he and Percy could see each other.

"Toad, this is Percy, another good friend of mine. Say hello."

"H-Hi…"

The stammering was back, Oliver realized.

Percy smiled.

"Awww, hi there. Aren't you sweet?"

Toad giggled at the compliment, hiding his face in Oliver's shoulder. Oliver smiled fondly down at the tiny boy then turned to his fellow engineer.

"Anyway, Percy, could you help me out with something?"

Percy nodded.

"Of course. What can I do?"

"You're the best cook out of all of us, and I have no idea what he should eat. Do you have anything in mind?"

Percy looked over at Toad, walking around the counter to stand in front of him. Toad looked at him nervously, but Percy just smiled, reaching out to stroke his cheek. Toad jerked away, and Percy quickly pulled his hand away.

"It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need to look at you, that's all."

Toad nodded meekly, but he kept his head down.

Percy looked up at Oliver.

"He's very skinny, so a good way to help rebuild his strength is to give him plenty of water and vitamins. Do we have any orange juice left?"

"Yeah. James didn't drink it all this time."

"Good. Pour him a glass. Toad, are you allergic to anything?"

Toad cocked his head.

"What does that mean?"

"Are there certain foods that you eat that make you sick?" Percy pressed. "Like, I'm allergic to nuts. I can't eat them or I'll get sick. Can you think of anything you've eaten that makes you feel bad?"

Toad looked up thoughtfully, then smiled.

"Vegetables!"

"Nice try," Oliver said, from the other side of the counter. "We're not falling for that."

"Awwww!"

"I'll take that as a no, then," Percy grinned. "How about...Oliver, do you like those granola cups I make?"

"Who doesn't?"

"I'll make him some of those, then. With some strawberries and yogurt. That's a good, nutritious thing to start off with. It's sweet, too, so he'll probably like it."

"You're brilliant, Percy, thank you."

"You're welcome."

Oliver handed Toad a glass of orange juice, and he gulped it down in seconds. Oliver looked surprised.

"Wow, that was quick. You want some more?"

"Yeah!"

Oliver took the empty glass back and refilled it. Percy was starting to put his ingredients together.

"How long will this take?" Oliver asked.

"Twenty to thirty minutes, or so. Not long."

Oliver handed Toad the full glass, and, once again, the orange liquid was gone in seconds. Toad smiled up at the teen.

"It's so good! What is it?"

"Orange juice. I'm glad you like it, it's healthy. I'll get some more for you next time I go to the store...James will probably drink all that, too."

Percy laughed, slicing up some strawberries.

"Well, to pass the time, why don't you go show him the train sets? I'm sure he'd love something to play with."

"That's a good idea. I asked Duck to make sure they were working, anyway. I'll be back down when you're done, Perce."

"Okay!"

Oliver walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs, holding Toad firmly to his chest.

"You wanna see some trains, Toad?"

"Yeah!"

Oliver turned down a hallway and opened a huge door. Little train whistles and chuffing noises echoed through the room, and Toad's eyes popped.

"Wow!"

A giant train set took up the entire room, with tons of little engines bustling about. There were sheds, stations, castles, quarries and even a search and rescue center.

It was a model of the entire island, not a single detail missed or out of place.

"Here it is," Oliver said. "Our mini Sodor."

"Wow! That's lots of trains, Mr. Oliver!"

Duck came in seconds later and shut the door behind him.

"Sorry for barging in, the twins were acting stupid. But, the trains are all working for Toad."

Duck reached over and ruffled Toad's hair. Grime scattered across the floor.

"Oh...whoops."

"Sorry," Toad squeaked. "My hair is really dirty…"

"Hey, it's okay," Duck said gently. "It's okay."

Toad looked up at him with wide eyes, then, ever so slowly, held out his arms. The boys looked down at him in surprise.

"I think he wants you to hold him, Duck," Oliver smiled.

Toad nodded, holding his arms out further.

Duck plucked him from Oliver's arms and settled him against his chest. Toad inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Duck gently stroked his back, looking over at Oliver with a huge grin.

"He likes me!"

"He trusts you," Oliver added. "You're the only other person he's let hold him."

"Really?"

"Really."

There was a knock at the door, and the Scottish twins entered.

"We found five boxes of clothes the young un can wear," Donald said proudly. "I put a set of me old jammies next to the bathtub, yon Ollie."

"Thanks, Donald."

"We'll put the boxes in yer room if ye want," Douglas said. "So ye won't have to climb up to the attic everyday, aye?"

"Aye," Oliver joked.

Douglas narrowed his eyes.

"Yon Ollie, there are two ways of doing things-"

"Oh, shut up. You aren't Great Western."

"And ye aren't a Scott."

Toad cowered into Duck, who held him tighter, humming a tune to calm him down.

Donald frowned, almost looking hurt.

"Why he is afraid of us?"

"Donald, Toad's been through some severe trauma," Oliver sighed. "Abandonment is one of the worst things a child can go through. It's probably going to take him awhile to trust us."

"He trusts _you_!"

"Oliver's the one who rescued him, so it's only logical that Toad would trust him," Duck said. "Oliver was the only "grown-up" who showed Toad any kindness by taking him off the streets."

"Aye, just be patient, Donnie," Douglas said, laying a hand on his twin's shoulder. "We'll earn the lad's trust soon enough."

Donald sighed dramatically, but nodded. Toad looked up at Duck.

"Can I can play with the trains?"

Duck smiled and set him down.

"Of course you can. You don't need my permission."

Toad smiled, then ran over and hugged Oliver's legs. The action took Oliver by surprise, but he smiled and ruffled his hair, sending more grime around the room. Toad smiled up at him again before getting up and running to the giant model train set.

"Aye, Oliver, I forgot to ask. How was pulling the Flying Kipper?" Douglas asked.

"Oh, fine," Oliver replied. "I was surprised. I didn't think my engine could pull the train alone, but, it did. I'll be happy when Henry's back on the job, though."

"Well, it's nae his fault that he gets sick easily," Donald said.

"What's wrong with him this time?"

"Just a really bad stomach infection. He'll be fine."

Donald turned to his brother.

"Well, shall we continue our video game marathon, Douggie?"

"Aye, we shall. Goodnight, Little Great Westerns."

"Goodnight, you two," the other two responded.

The twins left the room, leaving Duck, Oliver and Toad alone.

"So...what happens tomorrow?" Duck asked.

Oliver looked at him, confused.

"We get up and we go to work like always. On our branchline. What's changed?"

Duck shook his head.

"No, I mean...what do we do with Toad?"

Oliver could have slapped himself. He had to work tomorrow, and had no idea what he was going to do with Toad.

"Cinders and ashes!" He yelled. "Duck, what do I do? I can't leave him alone!"

"Woah, calm down. You can take him with you."

"I'm not taking him to work with me. I can't supervise him the whole time."

"Well, I think your best option is to take the day off."

"I can't do that! Summer is the busiest time of the year!"

"Oliver, you have a _very _good reason to take the day off. If you just call the Fat Controller and explain, I promise you he'll understand."

"What if he doesn't?"

"Why wouldn't he? He has children of his own. He knows how time-consuming they can be."

Oliver narrowed his eyes.

"Wait, what about our branchline?"

"Don't worry. I'm sure I can manage for one day."

Oliver sighed in defeat. Work on the railway was important, but Toad was most important right now.

"Alright. I'll go give him a call after I take care of Toad."

"Well, it's getting late. You might want to do it now."

Oliver nodded.

"Okay, I'll go do it. Watch him."

"I will, I will."

Oliver stepped into the hallway and called the Fat Controller. On the fourth ring, he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, sir. It's Oliver."

"Oh, Oliver!" The Fat Controller sounded delighted. "How did pulling the Flying Kipper go?"

"It went well, sir. We pulled it off."

"We?"

"My engine and I."

"Ah, I see. What can I do for you, Oliver?"

Oliver nervously twisted the fabric of his jacket between his fingers.

"Sir, I have a situation that will require me to stay home tomorrow. I'm calling to request the day off."

"Oh? Whatever's the matter?" The Fat Controller asked, sounding concerned.

Oliver silently debated the best way to explain what was going on.

"Well, sir, it's a long story."

"I have time. My wife's not bothering me for once. Explain yourself."

Oliver laughed, but quickly got to the point.

"Sir...I found a child."

There was absolute silence on the other line.

"A child?" Topham repeated. "A living, breathing child?"

"Yes, sir. I found him crying in an alleyway."

"What on earth was he doing by himself?"

Oliver cleared his throat. Explaining that Toad had been abandoned was a really difficult thing to talk about.

"His...um...his parents abandoned him, sir."

More silence.

"No," came the whisper.

"I'm afraid so, sir."

"That's terrible!" The Fat Controller exclaimed. "How dare his parents? How utterly fiendish!"

"I-I know, sir. It's...very cruel."

"How old is this boy, Oliver?"

"He's five."

"_Five?!"_

"Yes, sir. He's five years old. He's incredibly small for his age, though. I'd say he weighs about fifteen pounds or so."

"That's incredibly underweight for a child his age!"

"I figured...we're making him something to eat right now. We're hoping to get him back in shape again...if he was ever in shape in the first place."

There was silence on both lines.

"So, sir, I'm requesting the day off tomorrow so I can watch over him," Oliver said. "I don't want to leave him alone and it isn't safe to take him on the rails with me. He's having trust issues with the others, so it wouldn't be safe to leave him without supervision."

"Oliver, take all the time off you need," Topham said instantly. "This child is more important than the railway, right now. I won't deduct your pay."

"Thank you, sir."

"I meant to ask...does this boy have a name?"

"His name is Toad."

"Toad? Did you decide on that?"

"No. He just told me that's his name."

"I see…"

Silence again.

"If it's alright with you, could I stop by and see him sometime? I can even give you some necessities that will help you in taking care of him."

"That would be brilliant, sir, thank you."

"Of course. Well, I best be going. I have a busy day tomorrow. I'll stop by if I can."

"Alright. Goodnight, sir."

"Goodnight, lad."

There was a click on the other line and Oliver hung up. He walked back into the room, where Toad was watching a little green tank engine go around the set.

"How'd it go?" Duck asked.

"Too well. He said I can take as much time off as I need."

"I told you he'd understand."

Percy came up the stairs, and rapped on the open door.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," Duck replied. "What's up?"

"Toad's dinner is ready," Percy replied with a smile. "Oh, brilliant," Oliver said. "Toad, come here."

Toad obediently approached the teen, looking up at him. He held his arms up, and Oliver picked him up with a smile.

"Are you hungry?"

Toad nodded hurriedly.

"Very!"

"How about something to eat, then? Percy whipped you up a little treat."

"Goody!"

Oliver gave Percy a thankful smile and headed downstairs.

About an hour and a half later, the dirty dishes had been put in the dishwasher, Toad had been given a bath and Oliver had helped him change into the solid black pajamas the twins had found. Oliver watched in disgust as the dirty, murky, once clear water swirled down the drain. Though it still horrified him about what had happened to Toad, Oliver was just happy that he had gotten Toad clean. Toad's brown-blonde hair was now dirt free, and it shone in the bright light of the room.

"I feel so clean!" Toad laughed, twirling around Oliver's room. "Thank you, Mr. Oliver!"

"You're welcome," Oliver smiled. "It does feel good to be all cleaned up, huh?"

"Uh huh!"

Toad climbed up into Oliver's lap and leaned against his chest, closing his eyes. Oliver relaxed back against the headboard of his bed, wrapping his arms around the tiny figure laying on his abdomen. His fingers started running up and down the boy's spine in a soothing manner.

Toad yawned, his hands clenching onto Oliver's pajama shirt.

"I'm sleepy…"

"Shhh…" Oliver whispered. "Go to sleep, Toad."

Toad yawned again, nuzzling his head under Oliver's neck. Oliver started to hum a song he'd heard Thomas playing on his guitar just that afternoon.

It was only minutes before Toad was fast asleep.

Duck came into the room later on to tell them that he was going to sleep, but he stopped at the doorway. Toad was fast asleep on top of Oliver, who had his arms locked around him, also lost in the land of dreams. Duck smiled at the sight, and flicked the light off.

"Goodnight, you two."

He quietly shut the door, then walked into his own room, which was directly next to Oliver's. The sound of Duck's bedroom clicking shut was the last sound that echoed through the house that night.


End file.
